Housing for fan and motor



Jan 16, 1951 T. H. TROLLER I 2,538,739

HOUSING FOR FAN AND MOTOR Filed March 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 una" a a@ T. H. TROLLER 2,538,739

HOUSING FOR FAN AND MOTOR Jan. 16, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

BY M #TM WN OO# Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOUSING FOR FAN AND MOTOR Theodor H. Troller, New Philadelphia, Ohio, assignor to .I oy Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 27, 1946, Serial No. 657,457

(o1. Zanini) 7 Claims.

My invention relates to fans and more particularly to Ventilating fans of the axial flow type, and my invention nds utility for ventilating mines or other places.

An object of my invention is the provision of a. housing for an axial flow fan as well as for the power driving unit which drives the fan.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a diffuser for an axial flow fan in the form of an annular duct having an increasing cross-sectional area.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a fan chamber which is connected in communication with an annular duct, the forward portion of said duct having stationary guide vanes for directing the air into the rearward portion thereof which flares outwardly to produce an increasing cross-sectional area and which functions as a diifuserrfor the fan. Y

Another object of my invention is the provision of an inner housing and an outer duct surrounding the inner housing and defining therewith an annular passage, the inner housing constituting an enclosure for housing. the driving unit and the shaft which drives the fan.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: l

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view of a mine Ventilating fan embodying the features of my invention and illustrating a conelike annular diffuser.

Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-'-2l of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a modification of theinvention shown in Figures 1 and 2, in that thepower dri-ving unit is mounted within the housing which denes the inner surface of the diffuser; and L Figure 4 is a modification of Figure 3, in that the diffuser extends substantially radially outwardly instead of extending rearwardly in the form ofthe cone-like annular ductri Figure 3. With reference to Figures l and 2, my axial flow fan. structure comprises an outer duct I3 having a fan chamber in the forward end thereof for a fan 28, an inner' housing 2Q disposed substaitiall-y concentrcally of thek outer duct II) and derlig, therewith, in rear of the fan chambei",` an annular passage which terminates in a diffuser 3S. The inner housing terminates in an enclosure 39 in which a power driving unit or eletfic meter, 35 is' mounted for driving the fan.

i Although I' haveshcwn an electric maior as; a.

sion portion, I'4 is constructed.

power driving unit, it is to be understood that any suitable driving unit may be employed other than an electric motor. The outer duct II)v comprises a forward section or portion I I. and a rear` ward section or portion I2 which' may be joined together by a suitable flange connection at I3. The inner housing 20 comprises a forward section or portion 2|, an intermediate section orportion 22, and a rear section or portion 23. The forward section 2l and the intermediate section 22 may be suitably joined together as, for example, by the ange juncture at 24. The rearward section 23 and the intermediate section may be joined together as, for example, by the flange juncture 25. A partition 26 separates the inter.- mediate section 22 from the forward section 2I. The intermediate section` 22 and the rearward section 23v dei-lne the enclosure 39 in which the motor 35 may be mounted upon a suitable stand 4t, which rests upon the ground or 'floor and projects upwardly into the enclosure 39. The enclosure 39 may have an entrance opening 43 through which the operator may gain access to the enclosure for inspecting and maintaining the. power driving unit and other working parts. The entrance opening 43 may be closed by means of a suitable door hinged to the back wall 5I of the rearward section 23. Mine Ventilating fans of the present type are usually quite large and the horizontal center line of the motor may be as much as 10 to 12 feet above the ground support level, and thus I provide steps 44 leading up to the motor enclosure 39. A platform 42 may be provided within the enclosure to facilitate the operators walking around the power driving unitv 35. The forward end of the fan structure may be supported by a fan housing stand 4I which rests upon the earth or floor. The forward section II of the duct I0 has an axial extension portion I4 which extends in advance of the forward end of the inner housing and provides a fan chamber. The ends of the blades for the. fan 28 make a close tip clearance with the inside surface of the axial extension portion I4. In order that a. close tip clearance may be constantly retained, I provide for reinforcing that part of the axial extension portion I4 which is axially co-extensive with. tlie fan by means of a reinforcing band I6 Vwhich is constructed' of heavier material than that of' which the exten- The reinforcing band l5 may comprise-.any suitable construc tion so that the inner surface of the axial extensionportion I4 in which the fannrevolves may be maintained rigid and in a fixed position, or of true diameter so that the tip clearance of the fan may be maintained relatively small. The forwardmost end of the axial extension portion I4 may be provided with a fiange i5 whereby the axial iiow fan structure may be connected to a duct system that leads down into the mine which is to be ventilated.

The mine which is to be ventilated is provided with a duct arrangement which leads out to the top of the ground, and the present invention is arranged to be connected to the mine duct system for exhausting air from the mine, and the connection to the mine duct system may be made at the flange |5. Mounted in advance of the fan,

is a stationary nose 48 which is held substantially central of the fan chamber by means of outwardly extending braces 5D which have their outer ends connected to the inside surface of the axial extension portion |4 and which have their inner ends connected to the stationary nose 49. fan revolves between the rear side of the nose 49 and the forward end of the inner housing 2li. The forward section 2| of the inner housing and the forward section of the outer duct define substantially a straight annular passage immediately in rear of the fan chamber. Mounted within the straight annular passage are a plurality of stationary vanes 45 which extend subfstantially radially across the straight annular duct defined by the forward section of the outer duct and the forward section 2| of the inner housing. The stationary vanes 45 have their outer ends connected to the inside surface of the forward section of the outer duct and have their inner ends connected to the outside surface of the forward section 2| of the inner housing. The stationary vanes besides functioning as air guide varies, also support the forward section 2| of the inner housing within the forward section of the outer duct. Immediately in the rear of the stationary vanes 45 are a plurality of annularly disposed baiiies 4E which are supported by means of braces 41 and 48. The outer ends of the braces are connected to the inside surface of the outer` duct and the inner ends of the braces are connected to the outside surface of the inner housing.

The baffles 46 may be concentrically spaced apart and are adapted to direct the flow of the air in the diffuser 36 which is in the form of a cone-like annular passage defined by the rearward section l2 of the outer duct and the intermediate section 22 of the inner housing. The

Vfan is driven by a driving shaft 28 rotatably mounted within spaced bearings 3| and 32 carried by a bearing bracket 33 which is fastened to the bottom surface of the inside of the forward section 2| of the inner housing. The left-hand end of the driving shaft 29 is provided with a shaft extension 38 which extends forwardly of the inner housing 2D and projects into the fan housing for rotating the fan. A shaft seal 21 surrounds the driving shaft 29 where it passes through the partition 26 in order to seal the forward section 2| of the inner housing from the intermediate section 22 and the rearward section 23. A coupling shaft 31 has couplings 34 and 38 on the end thereof and interconnects the driving shaft 29 to the shaft of the motor 35.

In operation, the fan 28 when rotated by thev motor 35 draws air from the mine which is to be ventilated into the fan chamber in which the fan revolves. The air then is forced rearwardly into the straight annular space between the forward section I of the outer duct and the forward The section 2| of the inner duct. The stationary vanes 45 operate to guide the air through the straight annular passage portion after which the air then passes through the space between the concentrically spaced bales 46, whereupon the air enters the diffuser 36 in theform of an annular cone-like duct. The air upon leaving the diffuser 35 is materially slowed down before it is exhausted into atmosphere. The motor enclosure 39 which is defined by the rearward section 23 of the inner housing, is a relatively tight structure so that the exhaust air which may contain fumes or mine gases cannot enter the motor enclosure.

In Figure 3, I show a modification of Figures 1 and 2 in that the motor 35 is mounted on a platform 54 within the intermediate section 22 of the inner housing. In this modification, the coupling shaft which is now identified by the reference character 55, is somewhat shortened as compared with the coupling shaft shown in Figure l. Otherwise, the operation of the unit shown in Figure 3 is substantially the same as that for Figures 1 and 2.

In Figure Ll, the diffuser which is identified by the reference character 51, extends substantially radially outward, in which event, the motor 35 is mounted on the platform 54 which may be enclosed in a compartment 58 constituting a rearward extension of the inner housing 2t. The compartment 58 may be connected to the rearward side 60 of the diffuser 51 by a iiange 6|.

Although I have described my invention in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present' disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changesin the details of construction and the combination and arrangement 'of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. An axial ow fan structure comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber, a fan mounted in the first chamber for moving air through said second and third chambers, said second chamber being located immediately in rear of the first chamber and comprising an annular duct, said third chamber being located immediately in rear of the second chamber and defining a radially disposed annular duct of expanding cross-sectional area of which the outer peripheral portion is bounded by 'planes substantially perpendicular to the axis tions defining a vrst chamber, a second chamber,

and a third chamber, a fan mounted in said first chamber for moving air through said second and third chambers, said second chamber being located immediately in rear of the first chamber and constituting anannular duct and said third vchamber being located immediately in rearjf p the second chamberand defining a radially'disposed annular duct offwhich the outer peripheral portion is bounded by planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said axial flow, said radially disposed annular duct constitutingf'a diffuser f or the axial ow fan, 'power driving means for driving saidv 'fan;"'ai1d circular guide s vanes for guiding the air leaving the second chamber into coaxial paths in said third chamber.

3. An axial oW fan structure comprising portions dening a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber, a fan mounted in said first chamber for moving air through said second and third chambers, said second chamber being located immediately in rear of the rst chamber and constituting an annular duct and said third chamber being located immediately in rear of the second chamber and dening a radially disposed annular duct of which the outer peripheral portion is bounded by planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said axial flow, said radially disposed annular duct constituting a diffuser for the axial flow fan, power driving means'for driving said fan, and circular guide vanes of diierent diameters, and differently spaced axially of said fan structure, for directing the flow of air into said third chamber,

4. An axial 110W fan structure comprising portions dening a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber, a fan mounted in said first chamber for moving air through said second and third chambers, said second chamber being located immediately in rear of the rst chamber and constituting an annular duct and said third chamber being located immediately in rear of the second chamber and defining a radially disposed annular duct of Which the outer peripheral portion is bounded by planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said axial flow, said radially disposed annular duct constituting a diiTuser for thel axial ow fan, power driving means for driving said fan, and coaxial circular guide vanes of diierent diameters, and curved on axial planes, having their portions of maximum diameter in planes differently axially spaced of said third chamber.

, 5. In an axial flow fan structure, a portion defining a rst chamber, a portion defining a second chamber immediately behind the first chamber and having a substantially constant cross-sectional area throughout its length for the liiow of air, a third chamber immediately behind the second chamber and dening a radially disposed annular duct opening freely to the atmosphere throughout its circumference and having its outer peripheral portion bounded by planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said axial flow, a fan rotatably mounted in the rst chamber for moving air through the second and third chambers, and power driving means connected to drive the fan.

6. In an axial flow fan structure, a portion defining a first chamber, a portion defining a second chamber immediately behind the first chamber and having a substantially constant cross-sectional area throughout its length for the W of air, a third chamber immediately behind the second chamber and defining a radially disposed annular duct of which the outer peripheral portion is bounded by planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said axial flow, a fan rotatably mounted in therst chamber for moving air through the second and third chambers, circular guide vanes for guiding the air leaving the second chamber, and power driving means connected to drive the fan.

7. In an axial flow fan structure, a portion defining a first chamber, a portion defining a second chamber immediately behind the rst chamber and having a substantially constant cross-sectional area throughout its length for the 110W of air, a third chamber immediately behind the second chamber and defining a radially disposed annular duct of which the outer peripheral portion is bounded by planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said axial flow, a fan rotatably mounted in the first chamber for moving air through the second and third chambers, coaxially arranged circular guide vanes, curved on axial planes, for guiding the air leaving the second chamber, and power driving means connected to drive the fan.

THEODOR H. TROLLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent: f

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,762,353 Schmidt June 10, 1930 1,762,359 Schmidt June l0, 1930 1,926,113 Schmidt Sept. 12, 1933 2,108,703 Bentley Feb. 15, 1938 2,169,234 Ponomareff Aug. l5, 1939 2,314,058 Stalker Mar. 16, 1943v 2,400,711 Ponomarei, et al. May 21, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 454,072 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1936 

